Fall 2006
Course: MKT 790 Marketing Decision Making.
Credit Hours: 3
Section: ONLINE
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Fola Aiyeku
Electronic Office Hours: M 4-6 P.M.
Phone: 978-542-6634(O)978-542-6027(F)
E-mail: jaiyeku@comcast.net or jaiyeku@salemstate.edu
**(Please do not submit any assignment to my e-mail boxes. All Assignments through webct)**
Text: Peter & Donnelly (2007), Marketing Management: Knowledge and Skills, 8th edition, Irwin. ISBN 0-07-3137634
Suggested Readings:
A regular reading of any of the following newspapers/magazines will increase your appreciation of the course: (a) The
Wall Street Journal; (b) New York Times (business section); (c) Business Week and/or Fortune.
I. COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE
MKT 790N Marketing Decision Making
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Marketing 790N is an introductory course in marketing for those MBA students who have had no exposure to
marketing at the undergraduate level. This course will focus on both the substance and the process of marketing
and will examine how a marketing-oriented firm will develop each component of marketing strategy within the
contest of customer need satisfaction as the primary objective. An overview of the field with special emphasis
on formulating an effective marketing mix in an environment that is more and more globalized, diversed and
dependent on high technology. Among the topics covered include identifying and targeting market segments,
marketing information systems and
research, positioning products and services, building customer value and developing product, distribution,
promotion and pricing strategies. You will apply what you learn to case studies and will prepare a research
paper on a topic of current importance to marketing practitioners..
Educational Philosophy:
The basic goal of this course is to provide you with a solid foundation for applying the concepts and theories learned in
other marketing courses. This class will provide you with a mix of critical analysis, application, various factors that
influence marketing management, and the key components of a marketing plan. The course should help you to develop
insight about management decisions related to product, price, promotion, place to meet the needs of a target market,
and the other key elements of the marketing management process.
A. Entrance Competencies
Students entering this course should have basic work and living experience as a consumer, (irrespective of your undergraduate
course work) You are expected to have the ability to project what "should be" or "probably will be" on the basis of this prior
knowledge.
Background knowledge of internet and world wide web is required.
Email and internet access is a MUST
B. Learning Outcomes
This course demonstrates the role of marketing in the company, explores the relationship of marketing and other
functions, and helps students learn to make marketing decisions. It exposes students to strategic marketing decision
making and focuses on concepts of demand, environment, consumer behavior, and marketing mix including product
design, pricing, promotion, and distribution in the context of globalization of markets. The course pedagogy is primarily
based on case discussions and lectures, and stresses decision- making. The text provides conceptual support for case
discussions. Careful and regular reading of the assigned text chapters along with assigned case materials will improve
student learning and decision making
1. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the terms and processes involved in marketing and how to plan within the
strategic environment.
2. Explain the five management philosophies.
3. Define the marketing information system and discuss its relevance to modern marketing.
4. Utilize the four steps of the strategic marketing planning process in the development of a basic marketing plan.
5. Define the three steps of target marketing: segmentation, market targeting, and market positioning.
6. Describe the stages of the product life cycle and how strategies change during the cycle.
7. Identify the major channel alternatives open to a company.
8. Explain how companies adapt their marketing strategies.
9. Create a basic (product-oriented) marketing plan.
lV. COURSE ACTIVITIES TO MEET OBJECTIVES:
Suplementaty Lectures can be downloaded from Webct
V. OTHER ACTIVITIES TO MEET OBJECTIVES:
A. Tests - There will be one final examination online and will consist of short answer questions taken from
the text and other sources
B.Case Studies – This is a case oriented course as such four cases will be assigned to students. Each will
be an analysis of an actual business situation. Due date for each is given in the course outline. (Please visit
the website of each of these cases if available). All four cases must be uploaded to the digital box.
C. Internet Exercises – Selected internet exercises are assigned (See the course outline for due dates)
Course Structure- The course combines a case studies approach with lectures, internet exercises and a
research paper. Since the cases were prepared for instructional purposes and may be dated, you are
encouraged to “update” the cases by doing independent research.
Approach to Case Analysis
A case presents a situation(s) that impact a company’s ability to achieve success in an area of marketing or
management practice. Your responsibility is to read the case and carefully identify the problems or issues
facing the company and evaluate alternative courses of action so that you can propose a solution(s) based
on your analysis.
Marketing Term Paper
Prepare a position paper on one of the following topics (or
another pre-approved topic):
1. The Implications of the Bankruptcy Code on Marketing Practices
2. Measuring Advertising Effectiveness
3. Impact of Marketing Activities on Stock Prices
4. Brand Equity
5. Multicultural Marketing
6. Marketing Consulting Services
7. Brand Reinvention
8. Ethical Issues Facing Marketing Executives
9. Building Customer Loyalty Programs
10. Determining the Value of a Customer
The paper should start with a literature search and be written around the following themes: why this topic
is important to marketing managers today and what the marketing manager needs to know about this topic
to brief a non- marketing executive.
Sources: Students should consult at a minimum 10 sources, preferably a mix of both company and external sources
and cite these sources in your paper. Personal sources, such as interviews are allowed, but need to be properly cited in
the reference section. Do NOT use the firm web site as the only source of information. At least seven of the sources
used should be from sources other than the firms web site. Also, do not use 1 source seven times to meet this
requirement, but find instead 7 different sources. Relevant information may be found through library holdings,
reference CD-ROMS, a variety of Internet sources, or personal interviews. When pursuing web pages for information,
remember that many of these pages are produced by commercial firms as a form of promotion and publicity.
Format: Use double-spacing, 1 inch margins and left only justification. Set the font for Times Roman 12. You may
have to reset your basic page set-up in your word processing program to these settings. Expected page length is from 10
(minimum) to 15 pages (maximum) of text. The cover page, tables of contents, reference page and other additional
materials do not count as part of the expected length.
The cover page should contain the title of the paper, your name, and the course number. This should be the only page
that has your name present. The cover does not count toward the pages required for the assignment. For formatting of
references and citations within the paper, students should consult a style guide, such as the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (sometimes referred to as the APA Manual). The paper composes 20% of the
course grade.
VI . GRADING CRITERIA
One Exam 20%
4 Case Analyses 40%
Internet Exercises 20%
Marketing Project 20%
GRADING SCALE
100 - 95= A;94 - 90= A-;89 - 87= B+; 86 - 83= B;
82 - 80= B-;79 - 77= C+;76 - 73= C;72 - 70= C-;
69 -60=D Below 60= F.
Last Day to Withdraw from the Course
The day last on which withdrawal from the course is permitted with a "W" grade is given in the
catalog.
College Policy Statement
Salem State College is committed to non-discrimination against handicapped persons as specified in section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students who qualify as handicapped persons under the definition of this act should notify
the instructor at the beginning of the course so that reasonable modifications in the course requirements may be made
when necessary.
Academic Integrity
Learning is both an individual and a cooperative undertaking. Asking for and giving help freely in all appropriate
setting helps you to learn. You should represent only your own work as your own. Personal integrity is the basis for
academic freedom and the college’s position of influence and trust in our society. University and College rules and
standards define and prohibit "academic misconduct" by all members of the academic community including students.
You are asked and expected to be familiar with these standards and to abide by them.
Feedback:
If you have any questions or concerns about course content, teaching, grading or any suggestions for improvement in
the above areas, please do not hesitate to discuss them.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Essentials of Marketing Management
WEEK 1 SEPT 6-8
Lesson 1: Strategic Planning and Marketing Management Process. (Chapter 1, Page 8)
Due This Week
Buy the book
WEEK 2 SEPT 11-15
Lesson 2 Marketing Research: (Chapter 2, Page 23)
Due This Week
Case 2:McDonald’s Corporation in the New Millennium Page 250
WEEK 3 SEPT 18-22
Lesson 3 Consumer Behavior: (Chapter 3, Page 36)
Due This Week
Case 3: Campus Calendar Page 257
WEEK 4 SEPT 25-29
Lesson 4 Business, Government & Industrial Buying : (Chapters 4, page 54)
Due This Week
Term Paper Topic Due.
Internet Exercise 4: Discovering Product Assortments Online Pages 233-4 Due
WEEK 5 OCT 2-6
Lesson 5 Market Segmentation : (Chapter 5, Page 65)
Due This Week
Case 5: South Delaware Coors, Inc. Page 272
WEEK 6 OCT 9-13
Marketing Mix
Lesson 6: Product Strategy (Chapter 6 page 80)
Due This Week
Case 6: Starbucks – Early 2005 Page 281
WEEK 7 OCT 16-20
Lesson 7: New Product Planning and Development (Chapter 7, page 96)
Due This Week
Internet Exercise 7: Branding for Pure Plays Page 235
Module 4 Marketing Mix Decisions
WEEK 8 OCT 23-27
Lesson 8: Integrated Marketing Communication (Chapter 8, pages 110)
Due This Week
Internet Exercise 10: Internet Advertising Page 236
WEEK 9 OCT 30-NOV 3
Lesson 9: Personal Selling, Relationship Building & SM (Chapter 9, Pages 130)
Due This Week
Term Paper Progress Due
WEEK 10 NOV 6-10
Lesson 10: Distribution Strategy (Chapter 10, Page 146)
Internet Exercise 9: Selecting the Internet as a Distribution Channel Page 236
WEEK 11 NOV 13-17
Lesson 11: Pricing Strategy (Chapter 11 Pages 163)
Due This Week
Internet Exercise 8: Pricing on the internet Pages 235-6
WEEK 12 NOV 20-24
Lesson 12: The Marketing of Services (Chapter 12, page 174)
Due This Week
Term Paper Due. Please email to digital box on webct.
WEEK 13 NOV 27- DEC 1
Lesson 13: Global Marketing: (Chapter 13, Page 189)
Due This Week
WEEK 14 DEC 4 - 8
Exam (Chapters 1-13) Posting date and time will be announced.
Due This Week
Exam (Chapters 1-13) Posting date and time will be announced
WEEK 15 DEC 11 – 15
Due This Week
The Future of Marketing.
A Note On Case Analysis
A case write-up is a formal method of conveying an important decision to your supervisors. Your responsibility as an
analyst is to correctly identify the decision problem (s), identify facts and separate them from opinions, state clearly the
assumptions, clarify the objectives, clarify the context and constraints, evaluate decision alternatives and their
consequences, and recommend the course of action. It follows the decision-making algorithm. A typical case write-up
usually consists of the following elements:
Executive Summary
Statement of the Problem
Situation Analysis
Objectives and Goals
Alternatives and Evaluations
Recommendations and Contingencies
Appendices
Executive summary is a summary of proposed recommendations.
A problem statement clarifies for the reader the decision the firm must make, the main reasons for the need to make
the decision, and objectives and constraints faced by the firm and the decision-maker(s). The statement may also
contain the context in which the decision is being made.
Situation analysis clarifies the context in which decisions are made. Analyzing the situation, in which the firm finds
itself, helps the analyst to diagnose the causes of the problems. Changes in a firm and its environment require the firm
to take action and reposition it strategically. An assessment of a firm’s situation relative to its market, its competitive
performance, its strengths and weaknesses (operational, financial, managerial, R&D, resources and product/markets),
helps it to strategically position itself to take advantage of the opportunities and guard against threats in its
environment.
Objectives & Goals clarify and enumerate for the decision-maker and the reader, the ends sought and the intermediate
milestones reached to achieve the prescribed ends.
Alternatives and Evaluation section of the report methodically assesses one at a time, the strengths and weaknesses of
each of the decision alternatives. Each alternative has some pros and cons, and each has some advantages and
disadvantages relative to the objectives the firm is trying to achieve. It is extremely rare to encounter a decision which
when compared to other alternatives, is a dominating solution preferred over others. In most if not all cases a decisionmaker is forced to choose among alternatives, all of which have disadvantages along with advantages.
Choosing a particular alternative is a recommendation to senior managers to commit to a particular course of action.
Because assessment of alternatives is based on assumptions and often imperfect, information, a firm must be prepared
for contingencies should the recommended decision failed to reach goals.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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Common Errors in English
Business Writing Mistakes
Dictionary.com
Writing a Marketing Plan